Education | Scholars | Training & CPD

 

 

Joanne Jakovich

 

 

Current course of study:

 

Doctor of Philosophy (Architecture)

Research topic:

 

Gestural Interaction in Computer-Aided-Designing

Start/anticipated completion date:

 

August 2004 July 2007

Research contribution to theory:

 

Gesture is a powerful means for manipulating meaning in communication. In addition, gesture enables the manipulation and exploration of ones environment, which can in turn modify perception of that environment. Sketching, as one form of gesture, is a demonstrated aid in early idea formation as a way to externalise and rapidly manipulate ideas. In sketching the feedback is purely visual. But in gestural interaction with a design representation, feedback may also be haptic, auditory or kinaesthetic. It follows that gestural interaction might also serve to externalise and manipulate ideas as does sketching.

Current systems that employ gesture in computer-aided-design focus on gesture as a recognition and interpretation problem. Similarly, others require static, unnatural hand signs to operate task-specific commands, such as navigation through a virtual environment. This largely limits the potential of gesture as a means for idea stimulation through free exploration.

Gestural interaction offers the potential to explore different modes of concept formation according to the various external representations that can be manipulated using ones hands and tools as extensions of hands. Aside of sketching, we want to determine to represent gestural interaction so that it can be integrated into computational systems for designing.

Research contribution to industry practice:

 

In design practice, sketch-like behaviour is still the most intuitive way for many designers to initiate ideas. Gestural interaction maintains the immediacy of sketching and potentially provides an idiomatic way of unravelling design ideas. However, tools that employ hand gestures in the design environments do not support gesture as a means for idea generation, but as an alternative device for interfacing with the computer.

Previous qualifications:

 

  • Master of Environmental Studies Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Japan
  • Bachelor of Environmental Design School of Architecture & Fine Arts, University of Western Australia

Awards / Conferences /Journal articles:

 

Scholarships
  • UPA / Co-funded Scholarship, University of Sydney
  • Japan Ministry for Sports and Education Research Scholarship
Conference Papers

Professional memberships: